Urban & Regional Information Systems Association

About NADS is the oldest organization in the country serving individuals with Down syndrome and their families. It was founded in Chicago in 1961 by parents who chose to go against medical advice and raised their children with Down syndrome at home. Their pioneering efforts have made it easier for later generations of individuals with Down syndrome to be accepted by their families and communities, to develop their capabilities, and to work towards independence. Our mission is to ensure that all persons with Down syndrome have the opportunity to achieve their potential in all aspects of community life. We offer information, support, and advocacy. The direct support we provide to families through our Parent Support Program, our Mentoring Program, the Work Experience Program, and other individualized services is at the core of our mission, but we do not have the staff or the resources to provide those services outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. However, many of our other services are available to a wider community, including our conferences, our products and publications, our website and online Discussion Forum, and the information about Down syndrome we provide. Our members can be found throughout the United States and across the globe.

The Non-Ferrous Founders' Society (NFFS) is the leading trade association for the non-ferrous metal casting industry in North America, providing essential information and services for effective foundry management. NFFS offers resources and support to help foundries remain competitive and resilient in a dynamic business environment. With a mission to advance the manufacturing, recycling, and use of non-ferrous castings, NFFS is committed to being the premier provider of guidance, advocacy, and community for the nonferrous metal casting industry. Through education, advocacy, and networking opportunities, NFFS supports the growth and success of its member companies.Generated from the website

About STLE Our Mission Statement To advance the science of tribology and the practice of lubrication engineering in order to foster innovation, improve the performance of equipment and products, conserve resources and protect the environment. To be a leader in the global network of individuals, institutions, societies and corporate entities with a common interest in advancing the science of tribology and the practice of lubrication engineering. STLE is an individual membership society focusing on professional, technical and scientific issues and needs. It was founded on March 3, 1944, in Chicago as the American Society of Lubrication Engineers ( ASLE ). From these early days, into the 1980s, the organization's primary audience was plant engineers in charge of lubrication for production equipment at major facilities like auto plans or steel mills. Major activities were technical conferences, peer-reviewed publishing and educational activities. To adapt and reflect evolving market and audience needs, the organization's membership voted in 1987 to change the name to Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers ( STLE ). This acknowledged a growing international participation and appealed to a more diverse audience that encompassed many aspects of engineering and tribology, as well as the traditional base of lubrication engineers and suppliers of liquid lubricants. Today, STLE is the premier technical society serving the needs of more than 10, 000 individuals and 150 companies and organizations that comprise the tribology and lubrication engineering business sector. STLE members are technical experts who research, develop and market the methods and products that make industry more successful and that enhance the well-being of people worldwide. Our members are employed by the world's leading corporations and academic institutions and by governmental agencies dealing with science and technology. STLE supports these distinguished men and women with a variety of professional education and certification programs. STLE is incorporated in the State of Illinois. Structure and governance procedures are defined in a Constitution and Bylaws, which have recently been updated and revised. In addition, a strategic plan directs the ongoing activities of the Society. Annual budget is approximately $2.25 million. STLE's elected leadership is provided by a 24-member Board of Directors. The President, who serves a one-year term, is the organization's chief elected officer and the chairman of the Board of Directors. Complementing and extending the work of the Board is an impressive volunteer network that includes hundreds of individuals serving in a variety of ways. This might include participation in one of 23 technical committees and councils, an administrative committee, serving as an associate editor or reviewer for a Society journal or local Section activity. Working in concert with the elected leadership and volunteers is a 7-person professional staff. This group operates from the Society's 9, 000 sq. ft. headquarters building located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The STLE staff has combined experience of more than 100 years in association and organization management. Organizational Strategy and Services STLE's current mission and vision statement demonstrate how the founding purpose has expanded to serve a more complex and dynamic international technical audience and to meet new and more difficult challenges. Mission Statement: To advance the science of tribology and the practice of lubrication engineering in order to foster innovation, improve the performance of equipment and products, conserve resources and protect the environment. 1. Identification and dissemination of new knowledge, through international technical conferences ( two per year ), peer-review journal publishing ( the official STLE journal is known as Tribology Transactions ), student scholarship programs and awards to salute outstanding work in the field.